Tribulations
by Gnine
Summary: Sometimes it just doesn't pay to get out of bed...or the car you sleep in. Poor Ban...LOOK! An update! And it's only been 8 months...oops...
1. Prologue

Er, so um...yeah, another fic that came from a random pic I drew and decided there had to be a story behind it. Well, that and the fact that um...I reeeallly wanted some GB h/c. So...yeah, this is random, pointless h/c. Wee...So, er, C & C welcome, encouraged...please oh please? 

Oh, and thanks to Neechan for her encouragement (and bribes of fic in return) and also editing. Thanks to Karasu as well who keeps bugging me to write. It helps, it really does, thanks hon *huggles*. 

Tribulations 

By Gnine 

Prologue 

The light splatter of rain on his face woke Ban. Damn, they had forgotten to close the sunroof again. In a few minutes, the whole car would be soaked. He should really do something about that...or Ginji should. It was probably his fault anyway. It did not always need to be Ban's responsibility to solve problems like this just because he was the lighter sleeper. Somehow that had never seemed fair. 

"Oi, Ginji," he mumbled, voice sounding rough to his own ears. He better not be coming down with a cold. Blasted rainy, cold weather. And here they were sleeping in a car with the top down, of all the stupid things. 

Frustrated at the lack of response, he tried again. "Ginji, wake up and put the damn roof up. The rain's getting harder." 

And so it was. Large, cold droplets splashed in his face, running tracks down his cheeks like unsalted tears. God damn it, where was Ginji? The guy could sleep through a hurricane. Going to sit up with the intent to slam the top shut, Ban found his body unwilling to cooperate. 

That was decidedly...odd. And annoying. Irritated, at being woken up, at the rain, at life in general, he was of half a mind to just say screw it all, roll over and go back to sleep. Yeah...sleep was sounding really good, and-- 

The flash was bright enough to be painful even behind closed lids, the thunder that followed almost deafening. Worse than either, however, was the utter certainty that neither were natural, the source something all too familiar. Raitei. 

"Shit!" Instinct taking over, he was halfway to his feet before his senses kicked in and he fell back to the ground with a gasp. 

The searing pain shooting along his side jarred him into full awareness like nothing else could have. Panting, Ban forced his eyes open, taking in the patterns of branches framing the cloudy sky instead of the familiar car roof. He was sprawled on the ground in the middle of a small clearing, surrounded by heavy woods. 

Like the rain pouring from the sky, the memories came flowing back. The job had gone sour, or rather it had been rotten from the beginning. And they had been ready for the Jagan. Not that that could stop Midou Ban-sama. A few applications of snake bite and he managed to escape into the woods surrounding the estate. Piece of cake. Which left only the small matter of the bullet lodged in his side. 

Hell, they were probably still after him. Trying once more to heave himself up, he made it as far as his knees before the world went gray. 

As the haze of pain faded, Ban found himself once more flat on his back, a root digging painfully into his side. Sucking in a deep breath, he attempted to push down the slight inkling of panic. 

He was in the middle of nowhere. His pursuers could not be far behind. He had been shot. He was bleeding to death. 

He was helpless. 

Overhead, another bolt of unnatural lightening illuminated the overcast sky. 

To be Continued... 


	2. Chapter One

Okay, so I reeeeally wanted to make this chapter longer, I actually have quite a bit more written...it's just not in order. Gomen. Spent my free time this weekend finishing a pic of BanGin instead of writing. More soon...hopefully...if my schedule allows... 

**Chapter One**

"Where is Ban-chan?!" 

Shidou inwardly cringed as anything in the near vicinity metal and not securely tied down began quaking violently. The target of Ginji's wrath was cowering in the furthest corner, trying with all his might to become one with the brick wall behind him. 

The air crackled with electricity as Ginji slowly paced forward, face contorted in rage. "Tell me...where...he...is!" A charge gathered strength in his palm, the light blinding in its center. 

The man gulped, his eyes leaping in panic past his attacker to Shido. "Please...you gotta do something...he's gonna kill me!" he stuttered, trying to press even further back, to no avail. 

Shido returned the man's gaze coolly, but truthfully it did appear a likely possibility, which sent a chill down his spine. Amano Ginji's hands were by no means clean; no one who had survived long in Mugenjou's were. Yet even back then, when all of Volts and Lower Town had depended on Raitei's strength for protection, the times he went all out had been daunting, on occasion downright terrifying. 

Now, though, Mugenjou was miles away and a lifetime ago, and the Ginji he knew now was a far kinder, happier person. And yet in the man that currently stood before Shido, fire in his eyes and lighting encircling him, that new Ginji was almost entirely hidden. Regardless of the desperate man's pleas, Shido would have done anything he could to stop this, to get the new Ginji back. Narrowing his eyes, he shrugged. 

"What do you expect me to do?" His voice was casual, masking well the tension he felt. "The one guy who's ever had any luck reaching him when he's like this, you and your friends seem to have done something to." 

And that stung, more than anything. That none of the four Gods, none of those who had grown up with Ginji, had befriended him, protected him, could ever reach him when he became like this. Only that damn snake bastard. "I suggest you start talking." 

Sweating clearly now, the man licked his lips, eyes darting between Shido's calm gaze and Ginji's fiery one. "I, er..." 

The section of bricks a few feet from the man's head exploded as a pent-up ball of electricity was released from Raitei's control and sent spinning towards him. 

The man gulped again, sank to his knees and started babbling like a baby. "There's a mansion up past the town, on the hill in the woods, big estate, you can't miss it. They were headed there and I don't know anything else I swear I was just ordered to distract you long enough and oh god don't kill me." Curling into a ball, he continued to blubber, tears of fear rolling down his cheeks. 

Ignoring him, Ginji turned, stormed out of the alley. As he went, Shido felt the hairs on the back of his neck fall, the static hum of the air lessen. Letting loose a long low whistle as he headed after his friend, Shido lifted an arm to offer a perch as the first bird came swooping in. 

A crow, always curious, ready to help. Even so, it cackled its concern, sidestepping, edgy, still sensing the dangerous power hovering nearby, ready to spark again at any time. Giving his request quickly, the Beastmaster sent it on its way, spiraling up and to the west, into the hills surrounding the town. 

Picking up his pace, he found Ginji leaning against the car, face buried in his arms, breath coming in short, harsh gasps. At his approach, Ginji glanced up, and he was relieved to see the carefree, gentle features returned to normal, eerie light gone from those warm brown eyes. The tension still lurked just below the surface though, drawing a slight crease in his brow. 

"I'm sorry," Ginji murmured, eyes refusing to meet Shido's, settling someplace around his chin. "I just...I promised I wouldn't do that...but..." He took a deep breath. "He's really in trouble, I think...I can feel it and I don't know what else to do." The nervous laugh held no humor. "Ban-chan's gonna be really mad at me, though, for losing control. You won't tell him, right?" 

As if anyone could say no to Ginji when he asked like that. Still, Shido saw no need to answer, knowing Ginji already knew his response. Not that it would matter anyways. As much as Shido avoided thinking about it, he was forced to admit Midou seemed to have an uncanny sense where his partner was concerned. Chances were good he already knew. Instead, Shidou sighed. "Let's go find him." 

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter Two

_OMG I actually updated! Gomen all for those who've actually read this story and have been waiting...err...more than half a year? A lot has happened...like me being in Japan for this spring semester so um...not had much time to write...but hopefully I'll be updating this thing more regularly from now on. For any of those of you who are actually sticking with it...thank you!_

** Chapter 3**

They were getting closer, making enough noise to be audible a good distance away. Unfortunately, even with this knowledge Ban was having a hard time convincing his body of the urgency to get up and get away. And the rain persisted in pouring from the sky in sheets, drenching him thoroughly. 

At least the lightening appeared to have stopped for now. How long that good fortune would hold was uncertain, especially if he didn't get out of this mess soon and slap some sense into his partner. 

God dammit, the job had seemed reasonable enough. Well, okay, so _most_ things seemed reasonable with that high a payoff. And the guy _had_ seemed a bit… shady; but then, so did half of their clients. And sure Ban hadn't been too pleased that they had approached him when Ginji wasn't around. 

When they had named the figure they were willing to pay, however, a lot of things could be overlooked. It wasn't as if they expected him to carry out the job without Ginji, or so they had said. Ban had known his partner would be upset if they missed out on such a lucrative job simply because Ginji had chosen that day to be out gallivanting with friends… in the ladybug. 

Ban still was not entirely sure how that had happened. He had gone from flatly turning down any invitation to join them, to covertly encouraging Ginji to go with them, to giving up his car for the day. 

Come to think of it, he could blame this entire rotten day on the moment that stupid monkey trainer and the joker boy had walked into the Honky Tonk and invited Ginji to join them. It had just gone down hill from there. An hour after they had left, _with_ his precious Subaru, the three men had walked in. Ban had just returned from the library and was curled in a booth ready to get some reading in. . 

He had been tempted to turn them away immediately, but the 10,000 yen they had offered as incentive to simply talk over the job was too good to pass up. Ten minutes of conversation, and Ban had known they were slime through and through, but slime often possessed large sums of cash. He and Ginji had been far down on their luck as of late, to the point Paul was threatening to refuse them admittance into the café. 

When they had told him that further explanation would be received only if he immediately accompanied them to their employer's mansion, several hours outside of Tokyo, Ban hesitated only a second, then phoned Ginji. 

Not wanting to lose the job, he and Ginji had agreed that Ban would go with them and Ginji would catch up as soon as possible. After all, Ban hadn't even agreed to take the job, just to hear these people out. If nothing else, the 10,000 yen would be enough to feed them for a bit. 

As luck would have it, upon seeing what they actually wanted him to "retrieve" he'd had no choice but to flatly refuse. For one thing, it was not the kind of job the GetBackers did. For another, his Grandmother had warned Ban that if he ever came across anything like the pendant this Nannamae guy presented to him, he was either to bring it to her or to destroy it. It was not something to be played with. 

Of course, his would-be employers had not taken too well to his refusal or his attempt to snatch it. Between the heavy artillery and the sheer number of guards, Ban had decided to use his jagan. In retrospect it might not have been the wisest of choices, but at the time, he had been so thrown off by just seeing the damn thing… 

Nannamae had been prepared: three guards concealed, eyes shielded. He had only barely made it out, and without the pendant. Instead he had a gaping hole in his side. 

Branches snapped and leaves rustled as the searchers crashed through the underbrush. They were very close now, shouts echoing through the woods. Breath coming in ragged gasps, with the aide of a nearby tree trunk Ban was able to lever himself to his knees as four of them burst into the clearing. Adrenaline was an amazing thing. 

"There he is!" 

The roving flashlight beam, momentarily blinding, and two pairs of heavy footfalls were the only indications of their arrival. Even if he could concentrate enough to use it, in the gloom, with no guarantee they would all meet his eyes, the Jagan would be a waste of time and energy. With that conclusion in mind, Ban concentrated, willing his body to cooperate long enough to gain the upper hand in this situation while his pursuers were unsuspecting. 

"Come along quietly now," one of them hissed. As the speaker reached out a hand with the intent to haul him to his feet, Ban surged up, planting his fist in the man's gut. Even as his first victim collapsed to his knees, breath coming out in a gush, Ban was spinning to face the second. 

Another flash of lightning provided the necessary brightness to catch the glint of metal as the man brought his gun up to bare. Closing the distance between them before his enemy had a chance to aim, much less fire, Ban caught the extended arm. With a twist, the wrist snapped. Catching the gun with one hand as it fell from the other's slack grip, Ban dealt a quick jab with his other to the man's solar plexus, sending him sprawling to join his companion on the ground. 

Ban had never cared much for firearms, or weapons of any kind, for that matter. His fists had always been more than enough. But when necessity dictated, personal preferences be damned. 

Pressing his back against the nearest tree, Ban clutched the weapon, aiming it into the clearing. From the earlier sounds, he knew there had to be more of them. Squinting into the darkness, he thought he could make out at least two, possibly more. 

One arm pressed to his side, Ban attempted to catch his breath. His lungs burned, as bad as inhaling Himiko's flame perfume, and the edges of his vision were going gray again as he fought to stay upright. 

"Fuck, just shoot him where he stands," came a groaned command from off to the left. One of the two he had just dispatched, recovered enough to speak. 

"You all heard, the boss wants him alive," came the immediate response from a disembodied voice somewhere in front and to the right. The same speaker continued, addressing Ban. "You know this isn't going to work. We easily have you surrounded, and in that condition..." 

"Ch." Ban shifted against the tree, steadying himself. Sweat ran down his face, mingling with the still falling rain. "Why don't you come and get me then?" 

And come they did. The slight snap of a twig gave him enough warning to spin as one jumped out from behind. He managed to get a shot off, was rewarded by a curse of pain, and then someone else slammed him from behind. 

The hard impact with the ground rushed the air from his lungs, and his vision became a pinprick of light as he fought for both breath and consciousness. As the spots partially cleared from his eyes, he was aware of being held suspended between two of them, the grips on either arm tight enough to bruise. A third crouched before him, features twisted into a smug grin. "See now, you could have just come easily. Far less painful." 

Seeing no other available option, Ban spat at him. If nothing else, it wiped the grin off the son of a bitch's face. He paid for even that brief satisfaction though. 

Slowly the man reached up, hand brushing away the spit. "You really are a thoroughly unpleasant bastard." Ban saw it coming, but had no away to avoid the punch as the man pulled back, then drove his fist directly into Ban's wound. 

Fresh agony blossomed from his side. His vision went momentarily red, then faded quickly to black, and unconsciousness claimed him. 

To Be Continued... 


	4. Chapter Three

_Longer part this time, go me:-P Apologies for this story taking SOOO long too come out. My classes are done with now so should have more time, though still, am in Japan and running around Kyoto can get very distracting, but I'm going to try VERY HARD to update this more regularly. I swear! _

Now, on to chapter three: 

Cruising down the winding road at an already breakneck speed, Ginji's breath hitched momentarily, and suddenly their velocity rose another 20 or so kilometers per hour. Fighting the urge to cling to anything that might offer purchase, Shido glanced over. "Ginji--" 

"Ban-chan...Ban-chan needs me." Brown eyes narrowing further, he hunched forward over the steering wheel as if with will alone he could propel them even faster. "Right now!" 

Shido, eyes wandering momentarily, found himself quickly looking away, realizing he had no desire whatsoever to know what the speedometer currently read. Gaze falling instead on the scenery as it sped past, he noted the decrease of houses on either side, replaced by dense woods. After a few minutes, a fence came into view, changing shortly into a tall wall, barbs running along its top, just as the birds had reported. 

"I think that's the place." 

With a wordless nod, Ginji gave the steering wheel a sharp wrench, whipping the car around fast enough that Shido was positive only two tires remained in contact with the road, sending them careening down a narrow drive Shido hadn't noticed. The brakes were applied with sudden intensity, jerking the car to a halt and giving the beast master much cause to be thankful for the invention of seatbelts. 

Before them stood a large gate, barred. One look from Ginji as he scrambled from the car, slamming the door behind him, told Shido that either the owners would open it or they would shortly find themselves one gate short. And possibly a good chunk of the wall would be gone as well. 

Walking directly up to the small camera placed to survey visitors, Ginji spoke, voice low. "You will give me Ban-chan." 

It took a moment before the intercom crackled to life. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave." 

To anyone watching, the sudden illumination emanating from Ginji's skin, along with the random crackles of electricity zapping the air, should have been a good indication that that was the wrong answer. 

"I want Ban-chan. Now!" 

Shido was having a hard time fighting every natural instinct screaming at him to flee. From what he could tell, every other animal within a mile radius had already had the good sense to do so….except for the idiots behind the gate. 

The speaker gave a burst of static and then, "This is private property. If you will not leave then you will be forcibly—" 

The obvious conclusion to the warning was cut off as the intercom blew apart, sparks flying everywhere. A moment later, the gate followed. Beyond the gaping hole, guards could be seen rushing forwards, weapons hastily being readied. 

Shido took a deep breath, glanced once at Ginji, who had already begun to stroll forward, expression mostly obscured by the electricity emanating from him, then dove through the opening after his former leader. 

**** 

Ban came awake with a gasp. "Ginji!" The single word echoed in the empty room. Ginji...trouble, needed him. Raitei... His thoughts all jumbled, Ban struggled to rise. Achieving a sitting position, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Forced to pause a moment to catch his breath, disregarding how his vision swam, he took stock of his current situation. 

He was in a small room, empty except for the bed and night stand, a glass of water left on top of the latter. Leaning over, Ban reached for it, trying to ignore his inability to keep his hands from shaking. Managing to spill only a few drops, he finished it in one gulp. 

It occurred to Ban to wonder how long he had been out. His shirt had been removed, and someone had bandaged him up, the binding pulling painfully against the wound as he drew another deep breath. Well, at least he wouldn't be bleeding all over the place. 

Glancing around, he spotted his shirt tossed over the foot of the bed. Still wet; couldn't have been too long then. Struggling into it, he frowned at the large red-brown stain. That would be a bitch to get out, but it wasn't like he could afford another shirt any time soon. Especially not with the hospital bill they might be looking at once he made it out of this mess. Speaking of... 

With a curse, Ban hoisted himself up and managed the few shaky steps to the door. Trying the handle, he found it locked. Big surprise. Using the wall as a brace, he steeled himself. With all the force he could muster applied to it, the lock strained for a second, then gave all at once, metal screws breaking with an audible snap at his pressure 

On silent hinges, the door swung open. Taking a final moment to gather what remaining strength he could, Ban pushed himself off the wall. Peering cautiously into the hall, he took note of the overturned chair. Whoever had been left to guard him had obviously vacated his post in a hurry. 

Cocking his head, Ban heard the sound ofgunfire, punctuated by faint shouts coming from down the corridor off to his right. Not surprising, considering that was the same direction he felt Ginji's presence. Or rather Raitei's… not fully one or the other yet; there was still time. But he could feel his friend slipping fast. 

"Baka," he muttered under his breath. The damn idiot really needed some anger management skills. Losing oneself to Raitei every time the situation got a little out of hand was simply not a solution. 

Anger and worry fueled him on. Using the wall as a crutch, Ban hurried in the direction of his friend as fast as possible, trying to ignore how his vision blurred, how much his side hurt, how with every passing second Ginji's essence seemed to be growing more and more dim. 

As he rounded a bend, the sounds of combat increased dramatically in level. Down the short passage, the far doors were open. From the sudden bursts of bluish light casting strange patterns on the walls, it was no mystery who fought within. 

Staggering the last few feet, wishing his lungs would cooperate better, Ban passed through the doorway. He found himself on a balcony overlooking the foyer, eyes widening slightly at the tableau laid out below him. 

Over two stories tall, the entrance hall's tasteful decor, done in the western style, with matching statuary and adornments, spoke of decadence and wealth. Or at least it had until roughly ten minutes ago. 

The glass ceiling was shattered, shards strewn everywhere, opening the room to the elements. The rain, which apparently had not let up, was now soaking everything in sight, large puddles gathering everywhere. The matching statues along either wall were mostly smashed. Even as Ban watched, a random lightning bolt struck another, exploding the elegantly carved head, sending chunks of marble everywhere. The man using said statue for cover cried out, thrown back by the blast. 

Ginji—no, Raitei—stood in the middle of the ruin, lit up like the world's brightest Christmas tree. Surrounding him, though all were maintaining their distance, were Nannamae's men, crouched and squeezed behind whatever cover they could find. The gunfire was continuous, every suited figure taking shots whenever possible. None of them seemed daunted by the obvious fact that not a single bullet was even coming close to its target. 

Another scream echoed about the room as Raitei blasted a pillar concealing two more men. Both dove for new shelter. Only one made it, a stray bullet striking the other, sending him crashing to the ground. He lay where he fell, unmoving. He was not the first. 

Ban felt the hairs on his arms and neck rise as the ambient power in the room abruptly spiked. With a sizzle, the electricity around Ginji swirled, wrenching every gun from its owner's hand, spiraling them together into a steel tornado. The weapons themselves were suddenly deadly projectiles, bouncing off statues, walls, stairs, people, borne by the power of Raitei's wrath. 

As quickly as it began, the metal storm died down, crashes and clangs resounding as guns fell to the floor, the stairs...embedded themselves into walls. Glancing up, Ban's eyes fell on a pistol, muzzle buried four inches into the wood above his head. 

"Kuso," he swore, realizing the situation was getting too far out of hand. As many men as had been felled by the onslaught of their own guns, there were still a handful left standing, all quickly grabbing up their fallen firearms. And more were filing through the doors, diving for cover even as they entered. 

How many henchmen did this bastard have that he could afford to throw away this many? Not that Ban particularly cared. Stopping Raitei was what mattered. The problem was, factoring in his current state, Ban was at a loss as to how to reach Ginji over all the racket. Calming Raitei was hard enough, and Ban wasn't really up to getting stabbed through again. And that was relying on the notion that he could even manage the approach to his partner… which he highly doubted, seeing that the room kept spinning and his knees were threatening to give out on him. 

Damn blood loss. He needed to be lightheaded like he needed a hole in the head—or in the side, which is what he had. Didn't need that much either, and…whoa. The room did a nice toopsy turvy, and he found himself clutching the doorway, knuckles white with the strain of holding himself upright. 

Ginji, he told himself. Ginji was top priority; he couldn't pass out. His body seemed inclined to argue that. Momentarily distracted by the internal debate, it took Ban a second to realize he was no longer alone. 

Three more of Nannamae's men burst in from the balcony's far door, guns ready in hand, with the obvious intention of using the balcony's vantage to acquire a better shot. Thankfully they were no more expecting to see him than he them, so his temporary lapse in awareness did not cost him too much. 

Taking a deep breath, he prepared the Jagan. He was fairly sure none of them had been in the room when he used it earlier. At least he hoped not… just as he was hoping he had enough energy left to actually pull this off. One of them met his eyes, now the other, and… 

A dark shape pounced them from behind, two falling before they even had a chance to move. In a blur, their attacker spun, felling the third man even as he turned from firing at Raitei. Too slow, he too went down. Ban could not help feeling a small wave of relief as he recognized who had come to his aide. Not that he would ever admit it. 

"Hey, Monkey Trainer, whatcha doing letting him get like that," Ban called out, one arm waving vaguely towards the continuing spectacle below. Whipping around, Shido's eyes met his, narrowed. 

"Well, snake-bastard, as his partner and the cause of all this, why aren't _you_ doing something to stop him?" 

The glaring match went on for a few seconds, until Ban got the annoying feeling he was losing. It wasn't easy to win such a contest against three...no, they were starting to blur into four people. Giving it up as a lost cause, Ban closed his eyes, focusing for a moment on the simple act of breathing. He refused to pass out in front of Shido...again. It just was _not_ going to happen. 

"Midou...?" Ban's eyes snapped open. The beast master's gaze no longer rested on his face, aimed instead at Ban's side. More specifically, on the dried, rust-colored stain...and the fresher, growing, crimson one. Damn, blood was seeping even through the recently done dressings. They must not have done a very good job. He would have to file a complaint with Nannamae's medical staff later. 

Shido opened his mouth to say something more, but Ban cut him off. "We need to stop Raitei. Now." 

"Suggestions?" 

"If I could just get his attention..." Squeezing his eyes shut once again, Ban tilted his head back with the sinking feeling that the wall was the only thing keeping him vaguely upright. It was becoming decidedly difficult to concentrate. Someone was talking. Shido. Have to listen, have to focus. Just a little longer. 

"…could possibly distract them. For a few seconds at least. Would that be enough?… Midou?" 

"Yeah. Sure, whatever," he ground out. Eyes peeling open, Ban levered himself off the wall, swaying as he did so. But he jerked away from the offered hand, glaring. "If you're gonna do something, monkey trainer, hurry up about it." 

Grimacing, Shido brought two fingers to his mouth, letting out a loud, piercing whistle. Only a few seconds later, Ban could hear it, even over the gun fire—the sound of thousands of wings flapping, the echo of birds' caws. 

They descended through the ceiling, a black cloud of dark, fluttering shapes. Soaring over everyone's heads, they circled once, twice. The gun fire ceased as men ducked the onslaught of birds. With one more pass, they landed, covering every surface that would offer purchase. 

In the sudden, momentary quiet, Ban took a few steps forward, far enough to be clearly visible from the ground level. "Oi, Ginji, what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" 

Very slowly, Raitei turned, the air crackling with the motion. Ban was seriously starting to regret leaving the support of the wall as his knees began to buckle. His vision swam, and his side burned, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was holding that gaze, stilling Raitei long enough that Ginji could once more surface. 

He could hear some of the men shifting. It was too much to ask for them not to do anything stupid. But if they could just prolong their stupidity, remain idle for a few seconds longer. A hint of warm familiar brown was starting to show in the too-bright eyes, and the ambient energy of the room was decreasing. If the men would hold on a moment longer, if Ban could just hold on a moment longer… 

"Ban...chan?" 

Ban released a breath he had not realized he had been holding. And then he was falling, vision going dim. Strong, gentle hands caught him, lowering him to the ground. Gloved hands. 

"Ban-chan!" 

_To be continued _

Oh, and much thanks to stitcher2ficcer for doing beta for me on this part...my normal beta (ie Xparrot, aka my neechan) happens to be preoccupied writing One Piece fic...at my daily insistent bugging and begging err... so really I can't complain. Anyway, much thanks sticher2ficcer and much thanks to anyone still sticking around to read this thing... 


	5. Chapter Four

_Oh look, another chapter, who'd have thunk it? I'm terrible, I know. I do try...it just, errr...yeah. So, thanks to both X-parrot and stitcher2ficcer for both doing beta on this for me...it made for a rather amusing editing. Thanks, love you both oh so muchly. And now, on with the next part:_

Shido froze, mid-lunge, and blinked. 

Distracted by keeping command over the birds, he had almost missed Midou beginning to collapse. Instinctively jumping forward to catch him, resigned to the knowledge that this was becoming a habit, he realized he had been beaten to it. 

_Ginji_, not Raitei, knelt, crouched over his partner, frantically calling Midou's name. Glancing quickly about, Shido ascertained that Nannamae's man were just as thrown by Raitei's supernatural burst of speed and subsequent disappearance as he had been. Before they had a chance to recover, Shido took advantage of the situation. 

A whistle returned all the birds to wing; the caws and the numerous panicked shouts would hopefully provide the necessary distraction. Stepping close to Ginji, Shido raised his voice over the racket. "Ginji?" 

Worried brown eyes snapped up, searching for reassurance. "Shido, Ban-chan... what should I--" 

"First, we need to get him out of here," _and immediately to a hospital_, he added silently, if the size of the stain was any indication of how much blood Midou had lost. 

"Alright, you two, on your feet!" 

As luck would have it, two of their attackers had managed to traverse the birds and rubble and now stood a few feet away, guns pointed steadily at them. Heeding their command, Shido rose slowly. Those were semi-automatics trained on them, and though he was fairly certain both he and Ginji could dodge in time, Midou was an entirely different matter. 

"That means you too, lightening boy!" Shido risked a glance down. Ginji had not moved, still hunched protectively over his partner, eyes glued to Ban's pale face as he once more attempted to rouse him. 

"Ch," one of the men swore, as the other reached for his walkie-talkie. 

"Boss, we got all three of them corned. Orders?" 

Straining, Shido could make out the faint, static-filled response. "Restrain the intruders. Bring Midou to me." 

The two nodded to each other and took a step forward. The air crackled. Carefully lowering Ban to the ground, Ginji slowly raised his head, a low buzz filling the air. Both guns immediately swung to cover him. "The boss would prefer you alive but we will shoot if?" began one of the men. 

His partner did not waste time on words, firing even as the electricity enveloped Ginji, crackling outwards. Bullets easily swept aside, the men themselves were knocked off their feet as the wave of energy blasted out from Ginji. 

Shido's eyes watered at the searing light, like a miniature star springing brilliantly into existence. As his vision slowly cleared, he blinked, startled at the sight. Expecting to see two more victims of Raitei's tremendous power, instead the two men cowered on the ground a few feet away, unharmed, eyes wide with the realization of the certain death they had just narrowly evaded. 

If the entire situation had not had the feel of a powder keg too close to a flame, Shido might have found it comical the way his friend was frozen, half standing, caught somewhere between Ginji and Raitei. His body still pulsed with the unnatural brilliance of the Thunder Emperor, but the brown eyes opened wide, regarding in surprise the hand clenched tightly about his wrist. 

Shido's own breath caught in unconscious sympathy with Midou's labored gasps as the injured man levered himself off the floor, fingers clenched in an iron grip about his partner's arm, blue eyes boring into brown. 

"No more Raitei." Not a request, more than a command. A statement of fact so absolute as to be impossible to defy. Ginji met such certainty with paralysis. Obviously wanting to agree, but unsure how long he could keep his other self in check. 

"Ban-chan?" 

Shido caught the slight nod, Midou barely moving, not risking losing Ginji's full attention. "Idiot, you're strong, aren't you? You can do this." 

And Ginji smiled, a small grin but it was enough?no trace of Raitei's presence in that expression. "Un!" His hand covered Midou's, and in one swift motion he had his partner's arm slung over his shoulder, supporting most of the other's weight as he brought them both to their feet. Ginji's brow knitted with worry at Midou's grunt of pain, but his eyes held only determination. 

"Let's go." It was strange. Raitei was a force of nature, a storm one could not possibly control, simply hope to weather. And yet somehow a composed, utterly resolute Amano Ginji was almost as frightening. 

Backtracking down the hall Midou had emerged from, they encountered only minimal resistance, most of Nannamae's men still distracted by the animals. The limited opposition they did run across, Shido heard coming far in advance and dealt with easily. 

Midou was somehow managing to maintain his grip on consciousness, stumbling along, most of his weight supported by Ginji. "There," he ground out, voice tight with the strain. Indicating a door off to the right with a slight jerk of his head, they made their way down a narrow staircase. They found themselves in a wide hall that opened to kitchens on the left, and the next passageway ended in a door leading outside, a service entrance. 

The rain was still coming down in sheets, loud, confusing the senses. A single man rounded the building just as they exited, missed even by Shido's heightened hearing. The attacker raised his gun too late, though, Ginji blasting him even as he readied to fire. Concentrating, letting the sounds flow around him to compensate for the storm, Shido made sure no one else was in the close vicinity, then nodded. "All clear." 

"Just a little farther." Ginji's soft reassurance was barely audible, but Ban clearly heard it, head rocking ever so slightly in acknowledgment. "Just a bit more, and then we'll get you to a hospital and?" 

"No!" Tone vehement, Midou stopped abruptly, halting Ginji as well. 

Shido turned to regard him steadily. "Snake bastard, don't be an idiot, you need?" 

"No," quieter this time, but no less forceful. Eyes mostly closed, he sagged further into Ginji's support, the simple effort of rebuttal overextendinghis flagging strength. 

"But Ban-chan, you're--" 

"Idiots," Midou groaned. "Did you notice how many guys this bastard has working for him? Do you think he's stupid enough not to have all the hospitals checked? He'll be waiting for us!" 

Shido grimaced; the bastard had a point, a good one, even. Ginji was not so easily dissuaded. "But Ban-chan, we'll protect you! You're hurt, the doctors will have to treat you no matter what!" 

"Ch...and turn the hospital into a war zone like the foyer back there?" Same mocking, annoyed tone as usual, yet Midou's voice was so soft as to be almost unrecognizable. "Great plan.... No hospital." The vice-like grip he had been maintaining on Ginji suddenly slackened, Midou's knees giving out completely as he fainted. 

Bearing his partner's full weight, Ginji slid to his knees, Midou's limp form cradled in his lap. "Ban-chan? Ban-chan!"The slight shaking invoking no response, Ginji relented, gaze shifting up to his friend's face. Shido saved him the question. 

"He's right." Shido wasn't sure which was worse, the fact that those words could ever come out of his mouth in connection to the snake bastard, or the look of panic which they elicited from Ginji. 

Swallowing, he tore his gaze away from Shido, back to Midou's pale visage. "But if we don't, he could die?" And then he shook his head once, hard, the sharp motion cutting off his own words. Back tense with the strain, Ginji rose swiftly to his feet, Midou cradled in his arms, held lolling limply against his shoulder. 

Caught momentarily off guard, Shido hurried to catch up as Ginji started off again, strides long as he jogged towards the spot where the car had been left. Three guys stood guard over the Ladybug, guns drawn. 

Ginji's approach was not exactly subtle, but even so, the men were far too slow for the speed of his electricity and the animals that emerged out of the darkness at Shido's shrill whistle. 

Shido reached the car first, wrenching open the door and adjusting the seat. Gently Ginji eased Midou into the back seat and climbed in after him. It was a good thing, Shido reflected, that he had decided to get his license shortly after going to live with Madoka, seeing as Ginji obviously had no intention of driving. His attention was entirely focused on Midou, propped half sitting against him so his partner's long legs would fully fit in the cramped backseat. 

About to request the key, Shido noticed it still sitting in the ignition. If these guys had had any brains, they would have at least taken that, or slashed their tires, or done a number of other things to render them incapable of escaping. Thankfully they seemed thrown off enough not to have thought of the obvious. Perhaps the hospital wasn't totally out of the question after all? 

A glance back in the rearview mirror made it obvious to Shido that Midou needed it. In the dim light of the car, he looked more ashen, the rain-streaked windows casting strange, sickly patterns on his gray skin. But was it worth the risk? A retriever was expected to put his life on the line; it was part of the job description. The same could not be said for a hospital staff or its patients. 

Ginji glanced up, met Shido's reflected gaze for an instant before glancing back down. "Kazu-chan...and Juubei," he continued, hand absently rising to brush a stray lock of damp hair from his partner's brow. "You remember...in Mugenjyo they used to tend the hurt. Juubei was a doctor...and Kazu-chan knows so much. They'll be able help." 

A ring of utter certainty sounded in Ginji's voice, faith so certain as to make any alternative impossible. Adjusting himself carefully, one arm still wrapped around Midou's waist to prop him up, Ginji dug out his cell phone with the other hand. "They'll be able to help, they'll make Ban-chan better..." 

The mantra continued quietly as he punched up the number. Shido saw no reason to contradict, hoping the snake bastard wouldn't up and die before they arrived. What ever else could be said about him, he didn't think even Midou would have the audacity to do something so stupid as to rob Ginji of his faith. There was at least one thing he could count on, regardless of all else: Midou was one stubborn bastard. He'd make it, he was too pigheaded not too. Or else there was going to be hell to pay. 

_To be continued...in hopefully not tooooo long a time. Thank you all and any actually willing to stick with this thing! Its going on a year since I've been in GetBackers, wow...wouldn't it be good if it took me less than a year to FINISH this thing! ;)_


	6. Chapter Five

_It's stupid_, Ginji told himself, _to be this worried._ Ban-chan would be upset with him; berate him; probably smack him for thinking something like a bullet could bring down the "invincible" Midou Ban-sama. 

Ginji would give anything for his partner to be conscious enough to do so. He sat crammed at the head of the bed, back pressed against the wall--the motel being too cheap to afford a headboard--knees tucked under him. Out of the way as much as possible as Kazuki and Juubei went to work. 

Ginji's eyes trailed to the tatters of the once-white shirt tossed forgotten on the floor. Soaking, smeared with mud...and covered in dried blood. He shuddered, looked quickly away. _Ban-chan's going to be fine, he's had worse than this._ Ginji's hand crept forward to rest, palm up, against one pale cheek. 

"Ginji-san?" 

He pulled back as if burned, then looked up guiltily to meet Kazuki's gaze. The thread master shook his head slightly, the soft jingle of bells filling the air momentarily with music. "I just want you to refill the water." 

"Oh...of course." Scooting off the bed, he grabbed the bowl, heading towards the bathroom, trying to ignore the reddish tint of the water. "Going to be _fine,_" he murmured under his breath, a mantra of faith as strong as any Buddhist prayer. 

Quickly emptying the bowl of its unsightly contents, he turned on the water, allowing it to run a minute until it was as hot as possible. While he waited, his eyes traversed the tiny room, coming to rest on his own wavy reflection staring back at him through the cracked, dirty glass. 

Mirrors were uncommon in Mugenjyo, an unbroken piece of glass larger than one's palm a rare commodity. And yet he could clearly recall what he had looked like then, could still remember his surprise and momentary confusion the first time he had glimpsed Raitei. It had been so strange to see himself with golden hair and blazing eyes gazing cooly back. 

And then there was the first time, on the outside, when he had caught sight of his own smile, freed at last from the horrors and duties of being Emperor. For a moment the expression had made his own face foreign all over again, until he remembered it: not a foreigner, more like an old friend he had not seen for ages, a friend with whom he was quickly reacquainted. The smile quickly became the norm, the cold ruler forgotten. 

Now though, there was something new staring back, something he'd never seen before. It took a moment to place it: fear. 

The tinkling of glass, followed by worried calls from the other room, barely registered. All he knew was that that look had to be eradicated. There was nothing to fear, he wasn't going to lose his partner, wasn't going to hold one more dead friend in his arms, wasn't going to be left alone again, with nothing but the thunder for company. 

Glancing at his hand, he saw a little red welling from one knuckle; otherwise his gloves had protected him from the glass shards. The scratch wasn't bad enough even to tint the water as he dipped it under the stream… and found it scalding. Finally registering the steam rising from the faucet, he quickly filled the bowl, just as Shido poked his head in. 

"Ginji, you--" 

"Er…sorry, sorry." He pushed past the beast master back into the main room. "I tripped." There was a pause as the other three worked out just how one shatters a mirror over a sink by tripping. Ginji shrugged. Let them speculate. 

"Here, Kazu-chan," he said, handing the bowl over. "How's he doing?" 

Juubei answered. "We've got the bleeding stopped and the wound sewn up. His pulse is slow, but steady." 

"So he's going to be okay?" 

The quiet, deep enough to distinctly hear the clicking of the cheap bedside clock, was broken by Shido's low growl, "This is the snake bastard we're talking about, how else is he gonna be?" 

Ginji grinned, a large, heartfelt one that he did't need the mirror to see. "Look, Ban-chan, even Shido agrees 'bout how resilient you are!" He poked his partner gently, trying to ignore how Ban lay, head lolling limply, like a rag doll among the sheets. 

As he climbed back to his previous position at the head of the bed, he saw Shido roll his eyes, but he caught the poorly hidden smile as well. It reassured Ginji immensely as he settled himself in a more comfortable position. Everything was going to be fine. 

Even so, he couldn't help sneaking his hand down to rest once more against Ban's cheek, feeling the slight, reassuring stir of air tickle his fingers with each breath his partner continued to draw. 

It was like swimming up through murky waters, the only guide a pale light far above. His eyelids felt as if someone had placed lead weights atop them, his whole body resisting, even outright refusing, the command to wake up. This wasn't normal... 

Which meant this wasn't a natural sleep. _Ugh._ Ban hated the all too familiar feeling of willing his reluctant body out of unconsciousness. It was a damn nuisance; he was used to waking easily, fully aware and alert at the slightest provocation. Right now he felt as if an entire yakuza hit squad accompanied by a marching band could descend upon him, and all he'd be able to manage would be to flop about in a manner reminiscent of a beached whale. 

Ban used the time it took his body to concede that it was indeed time to get up, to gather his thoughts and piece together what had happened. Last he remembered, he was driving home the point that a hospital was out of the question. So he could rule that out as a possible current location...or else his partner and the damn monkey trainer were going to be in serious trouble. 

Deciding it was high time he found out where he had wound up, he forced his eyes to open. They struggled, but finally obeyed his will...after a fashion. Blearily he made out a water-stained ceiling and gaudy, badly peeling wallpaper. A motel, and a cheap one at that, if he had to guess. Well, there was no way they could afford anything better. Hell, even this would put a strain on their meager funds. 

Ban sat up…or at least that had been his intent. He had made it only an inch or two before receiving a rude reminder. Oh yes, there was a hole in his side. _Well, fuck._

Hissing slightly, he braced himself to try again, when a most unpleasant form loomed over him. "Ugh...monkey trainer." 

"Finally awake?" 

"And wishing I wasn't, if it's you I gotta be greeted by." Even so, Ban felt himself relax slightly with the confirmation that he was among friends...or at least no longer among foes…unless they had all been captured. 

Shido snorted. "Be glad you're awake at all. I'd tell you to thank them…" Shido nodded toward the room's other bed, "…but I know you better than to hope for anything as civil as gratitude." 

Ban stretched his neck to see the "them" to whom Shido referred. Dozing on the other bed was another of his partner's associates, his long brown locks freed from their bindings and draped across the pillows. Great, just what he needed. Another Ginji follower, still loyal to his former liege. 

For that matter, where was said former sovereign, current partner? 

"Ginji-" He started to push himself up again, more carefully this time. 

Shido glared. "You shouldn't move." 

"It's none of your business, monkey trainer," Ban snapped back. 

The other shrugged. "Not you I'm worried about, snake bastard. Just don't want you to disturb him." 

Momentarily confused, Ban turned his head to follow Shido's line of sight, and found himself suddenly fighting down a smile. 

Ginji was pressed up against the wall in as tight a ball as he could manage, and even then his legs mostly hung off the side of the bed; one arm was outstretched towards Ban's head, fingers nearly touching his face. He was fast asleep, not surprising considering his earlier prolific expenditure of electricity. But even in deep slumber, his brow was slightly creased, worry clear in his pinched expression. 

"Idiot," Ban whispered. 

"Look who's talking." 

Ban ignored the monkey trainer, instead shoving the covers back and swinging his legs off the side of the bed. The room wavered a bit, edges fuzzy in that old-movie, vaseline-on-the-lens kind of way. He ignored that as well. The hand that shoved him back down was not so easily dismissed. 

"Wanna tell me where the hell you think you're going?" 

"No." Ban strained against the hold, infuriated by how even that effort tasked his strength, his stomach painfully protesting the attempt. "Want to let go?" 

"No," Shido parroted. Ban glared, but was forced to subside, panting to catch his breath. The damn monkey trainer stepped back, flopping onto his chair with a satisfied smirk, taking Ban's momentary surrender as a sign of all-out victory. 

This in no way improved Ban's mood. Continuing to glare, he weighed his small set of options as the door opened and Juubei walked in, several Lawson's bags dangling from his hands. 

More lackeys. Just what Ban needed. He was hardly surprised; it was rare to see thread-boy far from his needles. 

Shido turned to the newcomer. "Any trouble? You were gone awhile. Kazuki returned from his scouting a long time ago." 

Below the shades, Juubei's lips turned down in a frown. "The man running the motel assured me there was a convenience store just down the street. However, it proved most difficult to find." 

Ban smirked. "In other words, you got lost." 

"Our patient's condition has improved, I see." 

Shido sighed. "Yes. I'm as disappointed as you." Before Ban had a chance to more than growl with indignation, Shido had arisen, relieving the other man of the groceries. "I suggested Kazuki get some sleep while he could," he added in response to Juubei's blind nod towards the bed. 

"I'm awake now." Kazuki's soft voice drifted from the far side of the room. As he stretched, his eyes traveled from the clock to Juubei, who was in the process of removing his jacket, clearly just returned. He frowned. "Did you get lost again?" 

"You should really get him a leash. It'd be much more efficien--" Ban's words were cut off sharply as Shido checked another of his attempts to rise, using one hand to shove him flat.. 

Ban glared. Ginji groaned. Everyone froze. 

Sitting up enough to spin about, Ban's blue eyes met Ginji's brown ones just as the latter fluttered open and blinked, then blinked again. 

"Ban-chan!!" Ginji managed to halt his lunge just in time, reducing the pounce to a gentle hug. "Ban-chan, you're okay! I mean, I knew you would be, I wasn't worried, you always get mad when I worry, so of course I wouldn't, but you probably shouldn't be sitting up like that should you? And did you thank Kazuki and Juubei? Are you hungry?" 

Throughout the mad babbling he arranged Ban into a half-sitting position, propped against the pillows, which he finished fluffing as he spoke. He ended by tucking the ragged quilt tightly beneath his partner's chin. The room's other occupants looked on, bemused. 

"Ginji!" Brushing the fussing hands aside, Ban pushed himself up for the umpteenth time. "I'm fine. I don't need coddling." 

"But...Ban-chan..." Liquid brown eyes went huge, chin quivering ever so slightly. It was enough to make Ban hesitate. Almost. 

"I'm fine," he ground out one more time, as much for his own sake as anyone else's, since the throbbing in his side really didn't seem to know when to quit. "What I need is to get out of here." 

"But--" 

"What we need…" he conceded; Ginji _was_ his partner after all. "…is to do our job. There's something we need to get back." 

_OMG I finished this part!! You may all die of SHOCK now. I know I'm certainly about to keel over It only took what, eight months?! I'm bad, I know, gomen ne? But I WILL finish this fic, I swear. May it take a thousand years, we will be free--err, done with this fic. _

And as always, thanks to my lovely, wonderful betas, X-parrot and Stitcher2Ficcer. I wuv you both! And also, thanks to all those who have continued to ask for this story, encouragement does help...as well as the guilt of not finishing it for you guys who have stuck with it...if there IS anyone anymore, anyone with the patience to put up with my long delays is amazing! Sigh, I will finish it! I will!!...Just not sure when. :-P 


End file.
